


New Year's Eve @ Buck Merrill's

by among_presidents



Series: The Outsiders One-Shots [2]
Category: The Outsiders (1983), The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: F/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff, New Year's Kiss, Strangers Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25938085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/among_presidents/pseuds/among_presidents
Summary: Tessa and her friend Caroline head to Buck Merrill's bar for a New Year's Eve party. Tessa is left alone to meet Dallas Winston and the two share a kiss at midnight.
Relationships: Dallas Winston/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Outsiders One-Shots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1881229
Kudos: 2





	New Year's Eve @ Buck Merrill's

**Author's Note:**

> Your prompt: Person A and Person B go separately to a New Year’s party, and end up standing next to each other during the count down to midnight.
> 
> //Time period-appropriate; it is 1965\\\

I was headed to a New Year’s Eve party tonight at the local bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Buck Merrill’s bar was not far from where I lived, and my friend Caroline and I had been invited. Neither of us had dates to kiss at midnight, and while Caroline hoped we’d both find a strapping man to lock lips with, I couldn’t care less.

I think it’s worth mentioning that neither of us was of age to drink but it’s also worth mentioning that at Buck Merrill’s bar it don’t matter as long as you don’t get caught.

“Aren’t you excited Tessa?”

“I’m excited to party with you Caroline, I’m not so sure about a boy yet.”

“Oh come on Tessa! It’s been a year since you’ve been with anyone, you’d think you’d be over it by now.” I looked over at her, my glare not meeting her eyes.

“Caroline, I love you dearly but how I deal with my heartbreak doesn’t concern you. You wanna lock lips with any boy here tonight be my guest but you know for a damn fact I won’t take part in that.” Her eyes didn’t meet mine any longer and her shoulders dropped in a cower.

“I know it’s a bad topic, I’m sorry. But I just want you to let loose Tess, you deserve it after being through hell and back with that douche bag.”

“And I’ll do that when I’m ready.” I looked up to see the flashing neon signs ahead and smiled. “Come on, we’re coming up on the bar now, let’s get inside.”

We ran to the concrete steps and walked into the warm bar, people filled the main room chatting and drinking. I saw Buck Merrill behind the bar and grabbed Caroline’s arm, bringing her to sit with me at a bar stool.

“Hello, ladies happy New Year’s Eve. What can I get you guys?” I looked to Caroline, confirming her order with a nod.

“Two jack and cokes Buck.”

“You got it, Tessa.” I watched as he mixed our drinks and placed them in front of us only seconds later.

“Enjoy yourselves tonight, cops shouldn’t be coming anywhere near here tonight.”

“Good Buck cause I didn’t bring my running shoes.” I got off the bar stool with a laugh and went to sit at a table with Caroline.

“Tessa, how are we getting home if we get too drunk?”

“Walk or call a cab. We both brought money, and you know Buck has a phone here. But if you’re staying with someone tonight come and find me so I don’t leave you behind or whatnot.” She smiled, hoping I’d return it. I did give her a small smirk.

“Please don’t forget to have fun tonight Tessa. Go shoot some pool or play darts, dance by the jukebox, whatever. Just do it tonight alright?”

“Yes Caroline, I heard ya the first three times.” She hugged me across the table before getting up and finding someone to chat with. I took a few sips from my glass before getting up to play a game of pool.

* * *

A few games of pool later, and I hustled a drunk guy out of one-hundred dollars. I knew it wouldn’t be too hard, and he wouldn’t miss his cash, so I pocketed it and went outside for some fresh air.

I didn’t smoke as most people did around here, surprising as I seemed to want to uphold a leather-wearing persona. But I decided I’d rather not get cancer before I’m 30. I leaned against the railing, breathing in sharply, the cold air stinging my nose.

It had to be close to 11 already, I made a mental note to check the bright clock on the wall when I went back in, and order another jack and coke to speed it up a bit. I also hadn’t seen Caroline around while I was playing pool so I’d go looking for her once I made it back inside.

I downed the last of my drink and went back inside, heading to the bar for another.

“Hey Buck, you see Caroline around?”

“Oh yeah, she had a pretty boy walking her around. She shouldn’t be far, maybe in one of the spare rooms upstairs.” I rolled my eyes with a laugh. So naive that Caroline, her heart on her sleeve.

“Another jack and coke?”

“Gosh yes Buck, I thought you’d have my glass filled by now.” I took the full glass back from him and sipped it as I walked away from the bar, deciding I’d watch a game of darts. Finding a seat against the wall I watched as two guys stood up to the boards, ready to throw. I watched, getting lost in the game until someone shouted.

“It’s almost midnight!” I stayed seated, downing my glass. I lifted my head to look at the ceiling and eyes were staring down at me.

“God dude what the hell you going around scaring people for!”

“It’s almost midnight, you ain’t for all this smoochy stuff?” The leather and blue jean-clad man helped me up from the metal chair as I scoffed.

“Are you kidding me? I ain’t dated in god knows how long, I don’t even know if my lips still move that way.” He laughed, shaking my hand.

“Name’s Dallas Winston, you’ve probably heard of me. Be pretty shocking if you hadn’t.”

“Sorry, your name doesn’t ring any bells. My name’s Tessa, just Tessa.”

“Well Tessa, I’m surprised you ain’t heard my name around town. Been in and out of the cooler so much you had to have seen my name on flyers or in the paper.”

“Nope Dallas, I’m sorry to say that your expeditions have gone unnoticed by me.” He laughed, a hand on his stomach.

“You crack me up. You come here with somebody?”

“My friend Caroline, Buck saw her around with some guy though.”

“You been ditched.”

“It’s alright really, I told her that’d be alright as long as I knew where she was.”

“I ain’t got time for girls nowadays anyway. I got two timed one too many times by girls while I’ve been in the cooler, you think I’d learn.”

“You seem like a cool guy, despite your record.” I heard off in the distance a countdown being shouted. I looked around to see no one else in the room around us, only a big black mob of people in the bar room.

I looked back to Dallas as he counted down on his fingers.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six”, I whispered to no one but myself really. His hands were suddenly on my shoulders, eye contact kept as his hands now snaked up to either side of my face. I gave a smile as my ears heard the shouts again, “Three, two, one!” The cheers got lost in my ears as Dallas’ lips met mine in a rough kiss. My hands gripped the leather sleeves of his jacket as our tongues started moving around together in the dank sea of liquor inside our mouths. His thumbs rubbed the balls of my cheeks as I was brought back to my senses, and pulled away out of breath.

“Happy New Year”, he whispered to me, a drunken blush on his cheeks.

“Happy New Year”, I whispered back, our arms around each other’s waists.


End file.
